Career Timeline of Jeff Bezos: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Jeff Bezos made an impact.

Jeff Bezos is an American businessman renowned as the founder and former CEO of Amazon, a global leader in e-commerce and cloud computing. His estimated net worth of over $209 billion makes him one of the wealthiest individuals globally. Bezos held the title of the world's richest person from 2017 to 2021, solidifying his position as a pivotal figure in both the business and technology sectors.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1986: Offered Jobs and First Employment

In 1986, after college, Bezos was offered jobs at multiple companies and first worked at Fitel, a fintech telecommunications start-up.

1988: Product Manager at Bankers Trust

From 1988, Bezos transitioned into the banking industry when he became a product manager at Bankers Trust.

1990: Joins D. E. Shaw & Co.

From 1990, Bezos worked at D. E. Shaw & Co, a hedge fund emphasizing mathematical modeling.

July 5, 1994: Amazon Founded in a Garage

On July 5, 1994, Bezos and MacKenzie Scott founded Amazon in a rented garage in Bellevue, Washington, after writing its business plan during a cross-country drive.

1994: Leaves D. E. Shaw & Co.

By 1994, Bezos had become D. E. Shaw's fourth senior vice-president, and he left the company that year.

1994: Bezos and MacKenzie Move to Seattle and Found Amazon

In 1994, Jeff Bezos and his now ex-wife MacKenzie moved to Seattle, Washington, where Bezos founded Amazon.

1994: Amazon Founded

In mid-1994, Bezos founded Amazon during a road trip from New York City to Seattle. The company initially started as an online bookstore.

1997: Amazon Equity Offering

In 1997 Amazon raised $54 million during an equity offering to finance aggressive acquisitions of smaller competitors.

1997: Became a Millionaire

Jeff Bezos became a millionaire in 1997 after raising $54 million through Amazon's initial public offering (IPO).

1998: Diversification into Music and Video

In 1998, Bezos diversified Amazon into the online sale of music and video.

Loading Video...

1998: Invested in Google

In 1998, Jeff Bezos became one of the first shareholders in Google, investing $250,000 through Bezos Expeditions.

1998: Shareholder Letter Principles

Since 1998, Jeff Bezos has published an annual letter for Amazon shareholders wherein he frequently refers to five principles: focus on customers, not competitors; take risks for market leadership; facilitate staff morale; build a company culture; and empower people.

1999: Purchase of Stake in Pets.com

In 1999, Bezos purchased a majority stake in pets.com.

September 2000: Founded Blue Origin

In September 2000, Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin, a human spaceflight startup, expressing his long-held interest in space travel and the development of human life in the Solar System.

2000: Purchase of Stake in Kozmo.com and Borrowing $2 Billion

By the end of 2000, Bezos borrowed $2 billion from banks and purchased a portion of kozmo.com for $60 million.

2000: Blue Origin Founded

In 2000, Bezos founded the aerospace manufacturer and sub-orbital spaceflight services company Blue Origin.

2002: Launch of Amazon Web Services and Layoffs

In 2002, Bezos led Amazon to launch Amazon Web Services. Due to stagnating revenues, he closed distribution centers and laid off 14% of the Amazon workforce.

2003: Amazon Rebounds with Profit

In 2003, Amazon rebounded from financial instability and turned a profit of $35 million.

2003: Rob Meyerson Led Blue Origin

In 2003, Rob Meyerson began leading Blue Origin and served as its first president until 2017.

2006: Purchased Land in West Texas

In 2006, Blue Origin purchased a large tract of land in West Texas to build a launch and test facility.

November 2007: Launch of Amazon Kindle

In November 2007, Bezos launched the Amazon Kindle.

New Amazon Kindle (16 GB) - Lightest and most compact Kindle, with glare-free display, faster page turns, adjustable front light, and long battery life - Black

Check it on Amazon

2008: Flow State in Reading

According to a 2008 Time profile, Bezos wanted to create a device that allowed a "flow state" in reading similar to the experience of video games.

2009: Donations to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Between 2009 and 2017, Jeff Bezos donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center multiple times.

2010: Bezos Donates Against Income Tax

In 2010, Jeff Bezos donated $100,000 towards a movement against a Washington state income tax for "top earners".

September 2011: Prototype Vehicle Crash

In September 2011, one of Blue Origin's uncrewed prototype vehicles crashed during a short-hop test flight, which was viewed as a setback, though the company's overall progress was noted.

2011: Alexa Project Inspiration

In 2011, Jeff Bezos told Greg Hart that the goal of the project that became Alexa was to create "the Star Trek computer."

2012: Bezos Supports Same-Sex Marriage

In 2012, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos contributed $2.5 million to Washington United for Marriage, supporting a yes vote on Washington Referendum 74, which affirmed a same-sex marriage law enacted in the state.

May 2013: Met with Richard Branson

In May 2013, Jeff Bezos met with Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Galactic, to discuss commercial spaceflight opportunities and strategies.

August 5, 2013: Announced Purchase of The Washington Post

On August 5, 2013, Jeff Bezos announced his purchase of The Washington Post for $250 million in cash, using Nash Holdings as the holding company.

October 1, 2013: Sale of The Washington Post Closed

On October 1, 2013, the sale of The Washington Post closed, and Nash Holdings took control of the newspaper.

2013: Funded Recovery of Rocket Engines

In 2013, Bezos Expeditions funded the recovery of two Saturn V first-stage Rocketdyne F-1 engines from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, which were identified as belonging to the Apollo 11 mission's S-1C stage from July 1969.

2013: Purchase of The Washington Post

In 2013, Bezos purchased The Washington Post newspaper for $250 million.

2013: Amazon Web Services Secures CIA Contract

In 2013, Bezos secured a $600-million contract with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on behalf of Amazon Web Services.

2013: Pledge to Worldreader

In 2013, Jeff Bezos pledged $500,000 to Worldreader, a non-profit founded by a former Amazon employee.

March 2014: Lifted Online Paywall for Subscribers

In March 2014, Jeff Bezos made his first significant change at The Washington Post by lifting the online paywall for subscribers of several U.S. local newspapers in Texas, Hawaii, and Minnesota.

2014: Amazon Wins Cloud Computing Contract with CIA

In 2014, Amazon won a bid for a cloud computing contract with the CIA valued at $600 million.

2015: Announced New Orbital Launch Vehicle

In 2015, Jeff Bezos announced that a new orbital launch vehicle was under development with the first flight planned for the late-2010s. Also in November 2015, Blue Origin's New Shepard space vehicle successfully reached space and executed a vertical landing.

January 2016: Reinvent Newspaper as Media and Technology Company

In January 2016, Jeff Bezos set out to reinvent The Washington Post as a media and technology company by reconstructing its digital media, mobile platforms, and analytics software.

May 2016: Sold Shares of Amazon

In May 2016, Bezos sold slightly more than one million shares of his holdings in the company for $671 million, the largest sum he had ever raised from selling some of his Amazon stock.

August 4, 2016: Sold More Shares of Amazon

On August 4, 2016, Bezos sold another million of his shares for $756.7 million.

2016: Bezos Joins Trump's Advisory Board

After the 2016 presidential election, Jeff Bezos was invited to join Donald Trump's Defense Innovation Advisory Board, an advisory council to improve the technology used by the Defense Department.

2016: Facility Tour for Journalists

In 2016, Jeff Bezos allowed select journalists to visit, tour, and photograph his Blue Origin facility.

2016: Hopes to Colonize Solar System

Since 2016, Jeff Bezos has spoken more freely about his hopes to colonize the solar system and has been selling $1 billion in Amazon stock each year to capitalize Blue Origin.

January 2017: Bezos's Net Worth Increases

From January 2017 to January 2018, Jeff Bezos's net worth increased by $33.6 billion, an increase that outstripped the economic development of more than 96 countries around the world.

May 2017: Donation to Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

In May 2017, Jeff Bezos gave $1 million to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

June 15, 2017: Philanthropy Strategy Announcement on Twitter

On June 15, 2017, Jeff Bezos posted a message on Twitter asking for ideas for philanthropy, considering a strategy opposite to his focus on long-term projects.

October 10, 2017: Bezos Makes $6.24 Billion in 5 Minutes

On October 10, 2017, Jeff Bezos made an estimated $6.24 billion in 5 minutes, an amount slightly less than the then annual gross domestic product of Kyrgyzstan.

October 2017: Bezos Sporadically Surpasses Gates

Throughout October 2017, Jeff Bezos sporadically surpassed Bill Gates as the richest person in the world as Amazon's share price fluctuated.

December 2017: New Shepard Flew and Landed Dummy Passengers

In December 2017, New Shepard successfully flew and landed dummy passengers, pushing its human space travel start date into late 2018.

2017: Donations to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Between 2009 and 2017, Jeff Bezos donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center multiple times.

2017: Google Stock Value

By 2017, Jeff Bezos's $250,000 investment in Google resulted in 3.3 million shares of Google stock, worth about $3.1 billion.

2017: Amazon Jobs Created

In 2017, Amazon created 130,000 jobs.

2017: Rob Meyerson left Blue Origin

In 2017, Rob Meyerson departed from his role at Blue Origin after having served as its first president since 2003.

January 2018: Bezos's Net Worth Increase Compared to Countries' GDP

Between January 2017 and January 2018, Jeff Bezos's net worth increased by $33.6 billion. This increase outstripped the economic development (in GDP terms) of more than 96 countries around the world.

January 2018: Donation to TheDream.US

In January 2018, Jeff Bezos made a $33 million donation to TheDream.US, a college scholarship fund for undocumented immigrants.

January 2018: Announcement of New Healthcare Company

In January 2018, an announcement was made concerning Jeff Bezos's role within a new, unnamed healthcare company, later named Haven, which is expected to be a partnership between Amazon, JPMorgan, and Berkshire Hathaway.

January 19, 2018: Amazon Stock Holdings Appreciated

On January 19, 2018, his Amazon stock holdings had appreciated to slightly over $109 billion.

February 1, 2018: Amazon Reported Highest Profit

On February 1, 2018, Amazon reported its highest ever profit with quarterly earnings of $2 billion.

March 2018: Expansion in India and Trump's Criticism

In March 2018, Bezos dispatched Amit Agarwal to India with $5.5 billion to localize operations. Also in March 2018, President Trump accused Amazon and Bezos of sales tax avoidance and anti-competitive practices, causing Amazon's share price to fall.

March 2018: Meeting with Mohammad bin Salman

In March 2018, Jeff Bezos met with Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, in Seattle to discuss investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030.

May 2018: Blue Origin's Primary Goal

In May 2018, Jeff Bezos maintained that the primary goal of Blue Origin is to preserve Earth's natural resources by making the human species multi-planetary and that New Shepard would begin transporting humans into sub-orbital space by November 2018.

June 2018: Donation to Breakthrough Energy Ventures

In June 2018, Jeff Bezos donated to Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a philanthropic fund founded by Bill Gates aimed at promoting emissions-free energy.

July 2018: Bezos's Net Worth Reaches $150 Billion

In July 2018, Jeff Bezos's net worth reached $150 billion, an amount sufficient to purchase the entire stock markets of Nigeria, Hungary, Egypt, Luxembourg, and Iran. Following this report, Amazon workers in Poland, Germany, and Spain participated in demonstrations and labor strikes to protest the growing wealth disparity and demand better compensation, labor rights, and working conditions.

July 2018: Priced Commercial Spaceflight Tickets

In July 2018, it was announced that Jeff Bezos had priced commercial spaceflight tickets from $200,000 to $300,000 per person.

July 17, 2018: Bezos Designated Wealthiest Person in Modern History

On July 17, 2018, Jeff Bezos was designated the "wealthiest person in modern history" by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Fortune, MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.

September 2018: Commitment to Homelessness and Preschool Funds

In September 2018, Jeff Bezos announced he would commit approximately $2 billion to a fund to deal with American homelessness and establish a network of non-profit preschools, including the "Day 1 Families Fund" and the "Day 1 Academies Fund".

September 2018: Donation to With Honor

In September 2018, Jeff Bezos donated $10 million to With Honor, an organization that works to increase the number of veterans in political office.

September 2018: Giving Pledge and Day 1 Fund Questions

In September 2018, it was reported that Jeff Bezos had not signed the Giving Pledge. Janet Camarena raised questions about Bezos's new Day 1 Fund, including its structure and funding.

October 2, 2018: Company-Wide Wage Increase

On October 2, 2018, Bezos announced a company-wide wage increase, raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour for American workers.

November 2018: Scheduled Start of Human Transport to Space

By November 2018, Jeff Bezos announced that New Shepard would begin transporting humans into sub-orbital space.

2018: Controversy over JEDI Project Contract

In 2018, controversy arose over the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) project contract with the Pentagon, with allegations that it was written to favor Amazon.

2018: Limited Meetings with Investors

In 2018, it was reported that Jeff Bezos met with Amazon investors for just six hours a year and instead required high-level employees to present information with six-page narratives.

November 2019: Amazon Files Lawsuit over JEDI Contract Award

In November 2019, Amazon filed a lawsuit after the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) project contract was awarded to Microsoft, alleging that the bidding process was biased.

February 2020: Pledge to Combat Climate Change

In February 2020, Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion to combat climate change through the Bezos Earth Fund.

April 2020: Donation to Food Banks

In April 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to food banks through Feeding America.

February 2, 2021: Email to Amazon Employees

On February 2, 2021, Bezos sent an email to all Amazon employees, stating the transition would allow him to focus on other projects, including the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, and The Washington Post.

February 2021: Announcement of Stepping Down as CEO

In February 2021, Bezos announced that he would step down from his role as CEO of Amazon in the third quarter of 2021 to become the Executive Chairman of the Amazon Board.

July 5, 2021: Stepped down as CEO and President of Amazon

On July 5, 2021, Bezos stepped down as the CEO and president of Amazon and took on the role of executive chairman. Andy Jassy became the new CEO and president of Amazon.

July 6, 2021: Pentagon Cancels JEDI Contract

On July 6, 2021, the Pentagon cancelled the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract with Microsoft, citing that "due to evolving requirements, increased cloud conversancy, and industry advances, the JEDI Cloud contract no longer meets its needs."

July 2021: Courage and Civility Award Announcement

In July 2021, Jeff Bezos announced the Courage and Civility Award and donated $100 million each to lawyer Van Jones and chef José Andrés.

July 20, 2021: Launched on NS-16 Mission

On July 20, 2021, Jeff Bezos launched on the NS-16 mission with his half-brother Mark Bezos, Wally Funk, and Oliver Daemen. The suborbital flight lasted over 10 minutes, reaching a peak altitude of 66.5 miles (107.0 km).

September 2021: Co-founded Altos Labs

In September 2021, Bezos co-founded Altos Labs with Yuri Milner.

November 2021: Pledge Towards Restructuring Food Systems and Nature Conservation

In November 2021, Jeff Bezos pledged to donate $2 billion towards restructuring food systems and nature conservation at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

November 22, 2021: Bezos Donates to Obama Foundation

On November 22, 2021, Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to the Obama Foundation to "help expand the scope of programming that reaches emerging leaders", and requested the Obama Presidential Center's plaza to be named after John Lewis.

2021: Stepping down as CEO of Amazon

In 2021, Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon, marking a shift in his focus toward Blue Origin and his engagement to Lauren Sánchez, potentially influencing his political views.

January 19, 2022: Altos Labs Launched

On January 19, 2022, Altos Labs launched with a start capital of $3 billion and an executive team led by Hal Barron.

November 22, 2022: Award to organizations engaged in relocating homeless families

On November 22, 2022, Jeff Bezos awarded $123 million to organizations that are engaged in relocating homeless families to permanent housing. Day 1 Families Fund grants were sent to 40 organizations across the country.

February 2024: Bezos' Net Worth

As of February 2024, Jeff Bezos' net worth is about $197 billion, making him the second-wealthiest person in the world according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

February 2024: Bezos Sells Amazon Shares

In February 2024, Bezos sold 24 million shares in Amazon at a total value of $4 billion, also announcing his intention to sell 50 million shares in Amazon over the next year.

March 2024: Donations to Eva Longoria and Bill McRaven

In March 2024, Jeff Bezos donated $50 million each to actress Eva Longoria and retired admiral Bill McRaven.

July 2024: Phone Conversation with Donald Trump

In July 2024, Jeff Bezos had a private phone conversation with then-candidate Donald Trump, which, according to Axios, planted the seeds of a "Bezos-Trump alliance."

December 2024: Bezos Dedicates Time to AI Initiatives at Amazon

During an interview at the DealBook Summit in December 2024, Bezos said that he was dedicating 95% of his time to artificial intelligence initiatives at Amazon.

2024: Positive Relationship with Trump

According to the Financial Times, in 2024, Jeff Bezos worked to have a positive relationship with Donald Trump during Trump's second term to further his business interests and support Trump's policies.

February 2025: Dinner with Trump and Changes to Washington Post's opinion policies

In February 2025, Jeff Bezos reportedly dined with Donald Trump again. On the same night, he announced changes to the Washington Post's opinion policies to promote "free markets and personal liberties" and suppress divergent opinions.